John Carroll finished the game the way it started Monday evening at the College of Wooster, using a strong closing burst to defeat the host Fighting Scots, 85-82, in the season opener for both teams in Wooster, Ohio.

Box Score

With the score tied 75-75 at the 3:24 mark of the second half, the Blue Streaks were able to score ten of the next 14 points. Whitney Hamilton put JCU ahead for good ten seconds later on a jumper, and then the Streaks made six of eight free throws down the stretch -- four by Lee Jennings and two by Kate Mahoney.

The game started just as well for John Carroll as Mahoney, who sat out all of last season, made a strong return by hitting a pair of three-point field goals to stake the visitors a 6-0 lead.

The Blue Streaks would push the lead up to 13-4 before the Fighting Scots went on a 9-0 run keyed by preseason All-American Kym Wenz that knotted the score at 13-13. It was the first of 17 ties in the contest.

Neither team led by more than five points the remainder of the half, which ended with Sadie Zander hitting a jumper for the final points with 36 seconds left give John Carroll a 37-35 lead at the break.

Wooster would score the first five points on the second half, and took its first lead of the game when Wenz drained a three-pointer at the 19:18 mark to give the Fighting Scots a 40-37 advantage. That would be the first of ten lead changes in the second half.

The Blue Streaks never trailed by more than three, but needed that run at the end of the game to put Wooster away.

John Carroll (1-0), which won its first season opening game since an 80-64 decision over the University of the Ozarks back in 2006, was led by Jennings who had eight field goals, eight free throws, and eight rebounds to go with five assists and a team-high 25 points.

Caitlin Sureck contributed a double-double with 19 points and a game-high 11 board. Mahoney had a career-high 18 points which included three three-point field goals. Zander was the fourth Blue Streak in double figures with a career-high 14 points.

Wooster (0-1) was led by a game-high 35 points from Wenz, who was 11-20 from the field, 3-4 from three-point range, and 10-11 from the free throw line. The Fighting Scots outrebounded the Blue Streaks, 47-37, but lost the turnover battle, 17-11.